The Matterhorn has always been dangerous. Intense prolonged heat and the sort of people climbing it have made it more so, according to SRF. Guides on the Swiss side of the peak are avoiding some routes they now consider too dangerous. The risks are … [Read more...]
News and Features
Swiss firms set to win more F-35 work than expected
Switzerland's purchase of F-35 fighter jets is expected to generate more business for Swiss companies than originally required, reported RTS. Under the procurement deal, the American manufacturer has agreed to place work with Swiss firms as partial … [Read more...]
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read more...]
SwissPass says no to ticket-buying grace period
Switzerland's public transport system operates on a simple rule: passengers must hold a valid ticket before their train, tram or bus starts moving. Buying one on a smartphone even a few seconds after departure can result in a fine. The rule is … [Read more...]
FILM: THE ODYSSEY **1/2 – neither impressed nor moved
17 July 2026 THE ODYSSEY **1/2 Sorry, I was neither impressed nor moved by this heavily promoted blockbuster by Christopher Nolan. This is, of course, based on the classic mythical tale by the Greek poet Homer, dating from the 8th century … [Read more...]
Guides
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read More...]
Hiring a cleaner – around half break law on Swiss accident insurance
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. In Switzerland, around one in seven hire someone to do their cleaning, but around half break the law, risking fines and a big … [Read More...]
Activities
Going underground – Touring Switzerland’s oldest salt mine
There is a reason why the Swiss excel at digging tunnels: they have been doing it for a very long time. In 1680, tunnels were dug into the Vaud Alps near Bex to get at salt buried there more than 200 million years earlier, le Sel des … [Read more...]
Taking a trip back in time on a Swiss steam train
Trains run Saturdays and Sundays from 4 May until 27 October 2019. On 21 May 1966, the local rail company closed the line between the two small towns of Blonay and Chamby, in Switzerland’s Riviera region, on the eastern reaches of … [Read more...]
Halloween in Switzerland in 2024
Many expats, particularly north Americans, may be surprised to discover that Halloween is not a big event in Switzerland. But it is catching on. Long before Halloween existed, a Gaelic festival known as Samhain marked the end of the harvest … [Read more...]
